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Cultivated Reef

SoCal's 60g Cube (Dismantled)


Arkayology

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I really wanted to hang onto my MH for another year or two but this new ecotech LED fixture may take the cake. One of these would look so sweet over this cube... The full spectrum ability of this fixture makes me think.. not to mention I could sync it with my vortech.

 

Maybe in a few months when others have tested it out (I am talking to you MedRed!)

 

lol. I'm anxious already. I don't think they will ship until next month.

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After 3 long months, I have made my triumphant return to the USA!

 

I was greeted by my BRS dosers, 40/40 marco rocks/sand, SWC 160 cone, and some other random stuff. Planning on having a stand built by a local reefer who happens to be a cabinet maker as well . Going to figure out the plumbing today. I think I will be soft plumbing the whole thing because I may have to take the tank down in a year or so when I move to a different apartment.

 

I will be cooking my dry rock after a rinse. Once I get paid, I think I am going to pre-order a Ecotech Radion fixture to put above this thing. The halide has been great, but I want to try these LEDs that everyone is talking about. I think one should be enough for my SPS with smart placement.

 

Nothing worth taking pics of atm, but I will update as this thing progresses. I would like to have water in it in 2 weeks. Stay tuned!

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boosted chemist
You thinking about LEDs as well?

 

 

Ya but i think im going to run my current 39x4 to get it started, then build a canopy and worry about the final plan then. Still see alot of lps hating leds though...

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Ya but i think im going to run my current 39x4 to get it started, then build a canopy and worry about the final plan then. Still see alot of lps hating leds though...

Good plan. I am leaning towards yes on the LED idea for my tank though. I just hope my SPS will be forgiving.

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Ya but i think im going to run my current 39x4 to get it started, then build a canopy and worry about the final plan then. Still see alot of lps hating leds though...

 

So my LPS are have been doing A -OK under the AI's, but I do also have the % set fairly low with long ramp periods to start at

 

 

Good plan. I am leaning towards yes on the LED idea for my tank though. I just hope my SPS will be forgiving.

 

My SPS seem to love the LEDs, all the acros, monti's, and milli's have grown considerably since I switch the light over

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boosted chemist
Good plan. I am leaning towards yes on the LED idea for my tank though. I just hope my SPS will be forgiving.

 

 

It seems that sps LOVE leds like no other, i think you will be fine.

 

Hey cruz, where the hell have your been lol.

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Hey Cruz! I'm glad to know your SPS are doing well under your AIs. Did you get them before the price reduction, or are you able to be compensated?

 

I may wait until the reviews are in on the Radions before I make my purchase. They should be shipping in a couple of days so it will not be too long.

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It seems that sps LOVE leds like no other, i think you will be fine.

 

Hey cruz, where the hell have your been lol.

 

haha I've been out at MIT/WHOI I got a job as visiting investigator in their marine chemistry and geochemistry department, Im currently working on the speciation of dissolved organic phosphates. I've been out here since june and will be here until the end of october. My GF has been taken care of the zee tank, and doing a really good job

 

 

Hey Cruz! I'm glad to know your SPS are doing well under your AIs. Did you get them before the price reduction, or are you able to be compensated?

 

I may wait until the reviews are in on the Radions before I make my purchase. They should be shipping in a couple of days so it will not be too long.

 

I got them too early for the price reduction, but it was an emergency light replacement,

however reefgeek as offered the free wireless upgrade.

Wish I had time to wait for the radions, but I really can't complain

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My stand is finished thanks to the help of a local reefer. It seems very stable. The only issue that I foresee is that there are not any 2x4s running vertically in the front of the stand where the doors are. There are two in the back and the top of the stand sits evenly on the boards. I was assured that this would be ok and I think so too. Any comments?

IMG_0374.jpg

IMG_0375.jpg

IMG_0376.jpg

 

Going to drill some 2'' holes on the top of the stand for the drain and return and start getting the plumbing done. It should not be that hard. I think I am going to do a stockman style pipe or try out this product called the "maggie muffler" that my LFS is hocking. I might try it and do a review.

 

I also decided to pre-order a Ecotech Radion to try it out. I am really looking forward to getting this fixture :D

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what angle in the last shot? What material is is it made from? It does look less than sturdy at the front. I wouldnt worry about the sides and rear at all but the front load doesnt seem to have any way to disapate to the ground...its still likely hes expecting just the three sides to take enough load to not make a difference. Id ask him what he thought about the loading that an aquirium putts on ALL 4 sides going outward. Saying that, ive seen a HELL of a lot worse designs and things bought at walmart for tvs being used...is this tank flat bottomed?

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Ok I now see thats the uderside of the top. Some thoughts. Nothing about that structure is "structural". ie there are shear connections on all of it with screws/nails whatever he used being the material to carry the load rather than wood atop wood pushing to the floor. All the structure under the top is fine but how its carried to the ground is more than concerning...to ME. Just realize that the plywood or whatever material the sides are made from and the fasteners(screws/nails) are whats holding your 500lbs of WATER only.

 

Again, id like his explanation at the least so you could understand his thinking. Also, itll likely hold jsut fine, im just expressing what jumps out at me. Afterall, full 2x4 built stands are WAY overkill but they assure you that no matter the loads, as long as they are used "structurally" that anyway they may be loaded will hold up i.e. vortechs for one. Im betting hes thinking that cleat running down the side is carrying the load to the ply...but again, its the screws and nothing takes the load of the front.

 

I tend to be overcritical so youre welcome to ignore me! lol

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IMG_0376.jpg

 

All hed have had to do is switch the way the horizontal 2x4's meet the vertical in the rear to be sitting on top of instead of running into it. Then the cleat wouldnt be needed(I dont get why thats there other than to cover the way he tied the 2x4 corners in wrong).It should meet like this,

S1470004.jpg

 

sorry I couldnt find a pic showing the same angle as yours for comparison. But you can see that the upper structure is on TOP of the verticle legs. It should be that way top to bottom side to side all the way to the ground.Now im no engineer but my entire life has been spent on a jobsite with my dad being a cabinet maker and me an electrician so dont bite my head off if this is some new fancy design hes using.

 

 

 

other than that, the same material used for the cleats coulda been used as a header across the front top and the doors wouldve covered them.

 

Again, please dont think im ripping it cause im not. I have used WAY worse things for tank stands and all has gone well. If this is his profession and he makes you comfortable that hes taken the FULL load into account then cool deal. LOoks nice by the way! Very shabby sheek! Did you have it matched to other furniture?

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None taken Chrishayes. I posted here for feedback. His reasoning for the design was that the tank would sit flat on the top board of the tank and evenly distribute the weight to the sides of the tank which is built out of MDF and the 2x4s shown. I think. It is about an inch thick and strong it seems. He did give me a couple of 2x4s to add to the front after I put my sump in for added support if I wanted (stand is 25 and my sump is 24 so it just fits).

 

Thanks boosted. You should get on that!

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ChrisHayes has a good point about the 2x's being butt joined to the legs, but all things considered you should be fine. Have you ever seen a biocube stand? Its just an MDF box with no bracing what so ever.

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ChrisHayes has a good point about the 2x's being butt joined to the legs, but all things considered you should be fine. Have you ever seen a biocube stand? Its just an MDF box with no bracing what so ever.

It is a little unnerving to have 2x4s only in the back of the tank but I think that It will be fine. I jumped on the stand a few times and tried to wobble it around and it seems solid. Here are some better pics of how the weight will be distributed.

IMG_0378.jpg

IMG_0379.jpg

 

I picked up most of my plumbing stuff today. Will have it plumbed by the end of the weekend and hopefully water in it by next Friday... or sooner!

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seeubg your new pics, I must say, im confused as to why he/she built it that way(looks like the way my dad would do it being a cabinet maker) but there does seem to be enough strength there to liekly be fine. Again, if you look at commercially built stands, while CAD designed for the loads, are flimsy as a carboard box and they dont explode. Although that NC28 stand I had before wasnt far from it! With a vortech in short pulse mode it would sway several inches back and forth! Just make sure that the tanks footprint is directly over the most structurally sound parts of the stand.

 

Jump test, really? lol again, 500# of JUST water and not static water either...

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Stand looks great! I think you'll be fine as far as strenght goes. After all, look at the majority of the mass produced aquarium stands, they're just plywood boxes, NO 2x4's at all.

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Thanks for the comments everyone! I drilled the stand last night and am currently working on the plumbing with the help of a pumpkin latte. I will post pics when it is all done and ready for water. This tank is sexy...

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